The Cannabis-Centric Charm of The Hero
In conjunction with the theatrical release of The Hero, the film distributor The Orchard will be displaying a 60-second trailer at 182 dispensaries throughout Southern California. The dramedy tackles the vulnerability of a celebrated film icon with a fading career and a taste for cannabis.
Sam Elliott plays Lee Hayden, an aging actor who spends most of his time with Jeremy, played by co-star Nick Offerman, who has abandoned his acting career to sell cannabis. The two relive their vibrant past while consuming cannabis. Elliot and Offerman both co-starred in Parks and Recreation on NBC. Lee meets a stand-up comedian Charlotte (Laura Prepon,) a girl half his age, and the two share an odd chemistry. Lee’s deep drawl has made his acting career become a western movie cliché, and all hell breaks loose when he attends an event to accept an award for his achievements in old western films.
Lee’s crowning achievement is an iconic performance in a fictional film called The Hero. Lee attempts to rebuild bridges with his estranged daughter Lucy (Krysten Ritter), and attempts to find one last role to secure his legacy in western film.
David Wilfert from TWBE was approached by The Orchard to handle the promotion of the film. “Utilizing a network of televisions located in dispensary waiting rooms, head shops, and doctors’ offices,” Wilfert told CULTURE, “The Orchard hopes to reach an audience that might not have been aware of the film, and the way in which cannabis figures into the story.”
The film was directed and co-written by Brett Haley, who directed the 2015 film, I’ll See You in My Dreams. The Hero was released in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on June 9 and will be released nationwide in June and July.
Watch the trailer called The Hero: Stoner’s Cut here.
